The Jealous Type
by KTEW
Summary: 'I'm not the jealous type. Never have been, never will be. So why was I so annoyed that Longshot was spending so much time with Toph' Smellershot, Teoph


I'm not the jealous type. Never have been, never will be. So _why_ was I so annoyed that Longshot was spending so much time with Toph?

I mean, Toph was my friend. She was one of the few people I'd actually call cool. So it shouldn't bug me that two of my friends were actually getting along (which is more than I can usually say).

But it did. A _lot_. And it didn't help that he was actually talking to her. I mean, most people can read him pretty well, but with the fact she couldn't _see_…

And I didn't seem to be the only one bothered by it.

I turned away from the two chatting by the fountain and walked over to the paraplegic several yards away. "Hey, Wheelie," I said, pulling a name out of thin air. I usually used Toph's, but I wasn't in the mood.

Teo turned towards me, looking a bit annoyed. "Hey, yourself… Dagger Girl."

I shook my head. "Leave the nicknames to us," I said, now standing next to him.

He nodded, looking a bit resigned, and slumped in his chair.

"Okay," I said, rolling my eyes, "I will now use my mystical otherworldly senses to say, '_You like Toph_.'"

He jolted up, eyebrows raised, then he slumped again. "Um, yeah," he whispered, his fingers drumming on the wooden arm.

I sighed. "So you're jealous."

He looked defiant for a moment, then sighed. "Yeah. I guess I am." He turned to me. "And you are, too."

"I–!" He raised an eyebrows. I crossed my arms. "Fine," I muttered. My shoulders slumped a bit. "I guess I am."

He nodded and looked back at them for a moment. "So how long have you liked him?" he asked, still looking at them.

"What! I don't!" I half-yelled, only keeping my voice down so _they_ wouldn't hear me.

He turned back to me, confused. "But you just said you were jealous."

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't mean it like _that_. I'm just used to him spending time with me, only talking to me, needing _me_ so he could talk to other people. But he's gotten so comfortable around her that he doesn't mind just talking." I glanced back at them. "I know this sounds ridiculous, but I don't feel… _special_ anymore."

He nodded again, but kept his eyes on me. "Well, he likes you."

I rolled my eyes again. This seemed to be going in circles. "Yeah, yeah. Like The Duke hasn't tried pulling that one on me before."

His eyebrows went up. "What?"

I shook my head. "Forget it." I sighed again. "You know the most annoying thing about jealousy? The fact that you can't do anything about it, and that's what makes you _wanna_ do something about it."

He nodded _again_ and thought a moment. "You know," he said, "I might have an idea that can help both of us."

You only had to look at him to know what he was thinking. And that it wouldn't be the most fun idea for either of us, but it would be the easiest.

"Um, I'm not so sure that'll work for me," I said, a bit awkwardly.

"It will. And even if you don't think it will, do it for a friend?" he pleaded. I had the strange feeling he'd be down on his knees if he could be.

"So we're friends now? You're not scared of me anymore?" I'd seen the way he looked at me when we first joined up.

"Well…" he started.

I raised an eyebrow.

"But I do think we're friends," he said. "I mean, there are… what, ten of us here? And if we can't all at least get along…"

"I know, I know. I've gotten the friends lecture too many times already. I'll do it."

His face brightened.

"But how do we get them to notice?" I asked.

"Well, they're coming this way now," he said, nodding towards them.

I glanced up. They were several yards away at this point.

I glanced back at Teo; he nodded.

I burst out laughing. I had a lot of practice at that, with The Duke's jokes. Not to mention Jet's.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Longshot raise an eyebrow, but I pretended not to notice.

The giggles died down and I raised my eyebrows just a notch, wondering what was taking so long.

Teo waited a split second, until they were right behind us, grabbed the collar of my shirt, pulled me down to his level, and kissed me.

Really, I never thought my first kiss would be to make someone else jealous.

He let go; I pulled back and blinked hard, wondering what color I was. Despite _planning_ it, it had still kind of taken me by surprise. I remembered the plan and turned to Longshot and Toph, trying to pretend like I just noticed them.

I felt the heat come to my cheeks with perfect timing as I saw how Longshot had turned stark white.

"I–I…" The awkwardness was not only real, it was _tangible_.

"I'm gonna go now!" I said, running off. Well, at least I stayed in character.

I ran into one of the numerous hallways and tried to make it look like I'd kept going, but I pressed my ear to the wall, trying to hear them.

"So, Flyboy," Toph said. I could hear the smirk on her face. "You and Stripes, huh?"

My guess is she interpreted his silence as a yes.

"Nice." I heard her choke back a giggle. "But next time, tell her to back off or she faces the wrath of the Blind Bandit."

I heard a slightly wet sound almost like a pop and smiled a bit. Well, at least it had worked out well for _him_.

_Wait_, I thought. _The way she said that. It sounded like she knew it was a plan._

I gulped. If _she_ knew it…

An elbow hit the wall a few inches from my head. I looked up at the person it belonged to, who did _not_ look happy.

I flinched. "Hi…" I said weakly.

(Why?)

I gulped. "I–" I sighed. "I was jealous."

He looked surprised. (Of _what_!)

"Of the fact you're spending so much time with her!"

Surprised turned to shocked. (_What_?)

"I'm used to you only opening up to me! It's weird – and annoying – to see you talking to someone else." And there goes my heart and soul.

He still looked stunned.

I shook my head. "Forget it. I knew you wouldn't understand." I took a step away.

"Wait."

I stopped, but didn't turn around.

"I get it," he said, standing next to me now. "_Believe_ me, I get it. I just didn't think you were the jealous type."

"What do you mean, you get it?" My eyes went in his direction, but I still didn't turn towards him.

"I'm jealous of any other guy that talks to you," he whispered.

"Which at the moment is about three," I muttered, "but carry on."

He sighed. "We grew up together. You found me. That puts me a lot lower on the scale, here."

"What?"

"The, uh… Well, the damsel in distress usually falls for the hero, right?" he muttered.

I choked back a laugh. That was a good piece of blackmail. Threaten to tell Sneers he said that.

And then the meaning came across to me.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You mean–"

He nodded.

I finally turned toward him. I won't say it was like seeing a different person, that he was suddenly beautiful. That's overdone, cheesy, and lying. He was still plain old Longshot.

But I can say something felt a little different. It wasn't butterflies, it wasn't an arrow striking my ass. There was just something a little different. And I couldn't pinpoint it.

(And you don't like me back,) he "said", going back to thought. (I got it, I got it.)

"Hey, when did I say that?" I said, crossing my arms.

His eyebrows shot up.

"Well, I haven't exactly thought about it," I said before he could get the wrong idea. "But I think I could."

He looked a little disheartened, but not as much.

"And we can always find out," I said, taking his hand.

He smiled.

"Now, come on," I said, starting to pull him along. "Let's go make sure Flyboy's paying enough attention to not fly off the temple."


End file.
